A deadly virus once eyed by the US as a potential biological weapon is now sweeping through West Africa, with the World Health Organisation warning it has already killed 42 people
A virus once recognised by the US as a “deadly biological weapon” has been spreading on the African continent. The rising number of cases has sparked fears of the outbreak spreading further, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) issuing warnings.
A total of 404 confirmed cases of the Rift Valley fever (RVF), including 42 deaths, were reported by national health authorities in two West African countries – Mauritania and Senegal, the WHO shared in an official update on November 5. The RVF confirmed cases have been observed to occur between September 20 and October 30.
The RVF is a zoonotic disease, which mainly affects animals, but can also infect humans, according to the WHO.
The majority of human infections result from contact with the blood or organs of infected animals. However, human infections have also resulted from the bites of infected mosquitoes.
According to WHO chiefs, no human-to-human transmission of RVF has been documented to date. While RVF often leads to severe illness in animals, its impact in humans varies, ranging from mild flu-like symptoms to severe haemorrhagic fever that can be fatal.
RVF is endemic in both of the countries, where recurrent outbreaks have been previously reported in both livestock and humans. This means that the virus is constantly and habitually present in a specific geographic area or population.
The risk of the virus spreading remains high because of heavy rains, more mosquitoes, and the movement of livestock within the country and towards Mali and Gambia for grazing and trade, the WHO warns.
The health body said: “The current outbreak of RVF in Senegal and Mauritania is unusual in its scale and severity, although both countries are endemic for the disease. It affects several districts in international border areas, particularly along the Senegal River, increasing the risk of inter-regional transmission due to animal movements.
“In Mauritania, RVF has been confirmed in eastern regions bordering Mali, raising concerns about potential regional spread beyond the Senegal River Basin through livestock movements. A high proportion of severe human cases have been reported, potentially reflecting gaps in case detection and limitation in optimised clinical management.
“In Senegal, approximately 11% of confirmed human cases have presented with hemorrhagic symptoms, of which 20 have resulted in death. The situation is particularly concerning in Mauritania, where the case fatality rate has reached 30% indicating heightened severity.
“As a result, the public health risk is assessed as high at the national level, moderate at the regional level and low at the global level. The risk to animal health is considered high at the national level, moderate at the regional level and low at the global level.”
RVF has long been a cause for concern, having once been among more than a dozen viruses studied by the US as potential biological weapons before the country ended its bioweapons program in 1969.
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